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Residents ordered to make city beautiful for Mugabe

Zim Online

Thu 16
February 2006

MUTARE - A state-appointed commission running
Zimbabwe's fifth largest city of Mutare has ordered property owners in the
city to repaint and renovate buildings because the city must look beautiful
when it hosts President Robert Mugabe's 82nd birthday celebrations next
week.

Although Mugabe's birthday is not a formal state occasion, it
is however celebrated nationwide by both the government and the veteran
President's ruling ZANU PF party.

The 21st February Movement,
named after Mugabe's date of birth - 21 February, 1924 - holds a public
music and entertainment gala every year to mark the President's birthday.
And Mugabe's speech to the country's youths, which is the highlight of the
celebrations, is broadcast live to the nation on state
television.

The birthday galas are rotated from
province to province and this year's gala will be held in the city of Mutare
in the eastern province of Manicaland.

In a notice published in
local newspapers this week, town clerk, Morgan Chawawa, ordered residents to
spruce up their properties at their own expense to ensure Mugabe - the only
ruler Zimbabweans have ever known since independence 25 years ago - will
find the city in a pleasant state.

Chawawa said: "Notice is hereby
given in terms of Section 31 of the operative, Mutare Town Planning Scheme
number one that all owners of buildings in a state of neglect in the city
are required to either repaint or renovate their buildings to improve
external appearance of the buildings at their own expenses.

"The city of Mutare is expected to be in a pleasant state in preparation for
hosting the 21st February Movement event."

The town clerk did not
say what punishment will befall those who fail to make the city of more than
500 000 beautiful ahead of Mugabe's visit.

Both Chawawa and
chairman of the commission running Mutare, Kenneth Saruchera, could not be
reached on Wednesday for further clarifications on the matter.

Saruchera's commission is running Mutare after the government fired the
elected but opposition-led council.

Business leaders from Mutare
who spoke to ZimOnline were however unhappy that they will have to incur
huge and unbudgeted costs renovating their properties simply because Mugabe
will be visiting the city for a few hours and this after having been
arm-twisted by the local ZANU PF leadership to contribute a total Z$10
billion to cover the costs of hosting the President's birthday.

"They must just tell businesses to improve their premises not because the
city is hosting Mugabe's birthday celebrations but as normal practice to
have a good image of the city," said Garikayi Mawoko, a businessman based in
Mutare.

ZANU PF provincial youth chairman Enock Porusingazi has
in the past few weeks sent circulars to business owners requesting them to
donate cash to fund Mugabe's birthday party.

Business people
have learnt to quietly comply with such requests as failure to do so will
result in one being labelled a supporter of the main opposition Movement for
Democratic Change party and therefore liable to retribution by ZANU PF
militias.

Mugabe, who founded Zimbabwe from the ashes of the
British colony of Rhodesia in 1980, has maintained an iron grip on the
nation since then.

But his rule has come under increasing pressure
in recent years as the country grapples its worst ever economic and food
crisis, critics blame on repression and wrong policies by Mugabe. He denies
the charges.

Mugabe looks physically fit and foreign diplomats
based in Harare who have met him recently testify that his intellect and
grip on facts remains sharp. But doubts about the President's health have
remained since he collapsed in November 2000 at a public function in
Malaysia. - ZimOnline

Harare must rein in non-performing parastatals to halt
inflation surge

Zim Online

Thu 16 February 2006

HARARE - Zimbabwe's
inflation rate, already one of the highest in the world, could breach the
900 percent mark in the next three months unless Harare urgently moves to
bridle non-performing parastatals and adopts tougher measures to boost
foreign currency inflows, analysts have warned.

The country's
annualised rate of inflation rocketed to 613.2 in January, up from the 585.5
percent recorded the previous month. This was about nine percentage points
shy of the all-time record of 622.8 percent reached in January
2004.

Warning that the actual rate of inflation may be even higher
since the official figures do not take into account prices on the black
market - the source of basic commodities for most consumers - economic
experts said Zimbabweans should expect more hardships in coming months as
prices skyrocket.

"The official rate of inflation is likely to
surge above 900 percent in two to three months' time as long as there is no
firm foundation on which to build (Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor
Gideon) Gono's recovery programme," said an analyst with a Harare-based
stockbroking firm, who did not want to be named for professional
reasons.

Gono has conceded that inflation would continue to rise
until March this year when it could hit 800 percent before relenting to end
2006 at between 220 and 230 percent.

The RBZ chief, tasked by
President Robert Mugabe to curb inflation and inspire revival of Zimbabwe's
comatose economy, also projects the inflation rate to decline further to
double digit levels by mid-2007.

The analysts, however, said the
RBZ would have a difficult time attaining its inflation target, particularly
if it continued to resort to the ineffective monetary targeting and high
accommodation rates for financial institutions.

"Monetary
targeting will be ineffective for as long as the RBZ continues with its
quasi-fiscal activities. In fact, hidden in these quasi-fiscal activities
are high budget over-runs whose financing is continuously exerting
inflationary pressures," financial services group, Zimbabwe Financial
Holdings (FINHOLD), said in a commentary.

The central bank doled
out about Z$6 trillion to farmers last year under its Agricultural Sector
Productivity Enhancement Facility (ASPEF), funds that ended up being abused
by the recipients.

But the analysts said the RBZ was largely to
blame for the rise in prices of goods and services.

"The
quasi-fiscal activities of the RBZ have been largely responsible for the
growth in money supply and this has had the effect of nudging on inflation,"
said the stockbroker.

RBZ quasi-fiscal operations pushed money
supply growth from 178 percent in January 2005 to 412 percent in November of
the same year.

The analysts said the effects of money supply growth
have a lag, which means that the impact of the monetary expansion
experienced late last year would only be felt from February.

The fuel industry was also expected to exert more pressure on inflation.
Besides Zimbabwe's increased vulnerability due to rising international oil
prices, sustained upward pressure is seen coming from increases in the price
of the commodity on both the official market and the black
market.

A litre of fuel now sells for between Z$170 000 and Z$180
000 at filling stations, and between Z$200 000 and Z$260 000 on the
street.

Such increases, and expected price hikes for other goods
and services, would nudge inflation beyond the 900 percent mark by the end
of March, the analysts said.

Economist James Jowah noted that
confidence-building was the only solution to the problem of rising
inflation.

"Confidence has been severely eroded over time due to
lack of a clear policy direction in the economy, especially in agriculture,"
he said. - ZimOnline

Police probe governor over impounded 40 tonnes of
fertilizer

Zim Online

Thu 16 February 2006

MASVINGO - Masvingo provincial
governor Willard Chiwewe is being probed after the police impounded 40
tonnes of fertilizer believed to belong to the governor and which police
suspect was earmarked for sale on the illegal black-market.

Chiwewe is the highest ranking government official in Masvingo and is the
official representative of President Robert Mugabe in the province.

Ammonium Nitrate
fertilizer, in high demand in the country during this time of the year, is
however in critical short supply but is readily available on the
black-market, though at more than double the official price.

Masvingo police spokesman Charles Munhungei confirmed that one man had been
arrested while a local businessman and a politician were still being probed
by the police over the matter although he said he was not in a position to
confirm to ZimOnline whether the politician involved was
Chiwewe.

He said: "I can confirm the arrest of one man while a
businessman and a local politician are under investigations following the
discovery of 800 bags of fertilizer in the industrial area (but) I cannot
confirm or deny that the politician is our local Resident
Minister

Chiwewe's other official title is Resident Minister of
Masvingo province.

The governor refused to take questions on
the matter saying: "Let the police do their job because I can not comment on
an issue in which I am suspected of being an interested party."

But our sources said senior police officers in the province were developing
cold feet on the matter and were leaning on their juniors to abort the probe
despite clear evidence linking Chiwewe to the fertilizer.

"Our
bosses are trying to block the whole case despite us having evidence linking
the governor to the case because we have receipts (from the fertilizer
supplier) which were issued in his name," said a junior policeman, among
officers who discovered the fertilizer.

High profile ruling ZANU PF
party and government politicians have used their influential positions to
access basic commodities including agricultural inputs that are scarce in
the country for resale to ordinary citizens at exorbitant
prices.

Mugabe has on several occasions publicly spoken against his
top officials fuelling the black-market and even set up an Anti-Corruption
Ministry that was among other things expected to curb the illegal parallel
market. But little has changed on the ground. - ZimOnline

Police arrest 21 Zimbabwe university students

Zim Online

Thu 16
February 2006

BULAWAYO - Zimbabwe police yesterday arrested 21
students from the country's National University of Science and Technology
(NUST) who were protesting against the government's decision to hike fees at
all state universities.

NUST is owned by the
government.

The arrested students, who were part of a larger group
that was demonstrating at the university grounds, were still locked up at
Bulawayo Central police station by late last night. But a police spokesman,
Andrew Phiri, said the students might appear in court today to face charges
of malicious injury to property because they allegedly vandalised buildings
during their protests.

The government this year more than
doubled fees at its universities saying the costs of maintaining the
institutions had skyrocketed due to the country's inflation.

Meanwhile, the police in Harare were by last night still detaining the 192
women they arrested on Valentine's Day for protesting against the
government.

The women were arrested outside the Parliament
building where they were demonstrating against worsening economic hardships
in the country.

One of the lawyers representing the women, Otto
Saki, said: "The women are still in detention but the police are charging
them under the Miscellaneous Ofences Act which has an option of a fine." -
ZimOnline

Media rights group lashes out at Zimbabwe ambassador

Zim Online

Thu 16
February 2006

JOHANNESBURG - The Media Institute of Southern Africa
(MISA) on Wednesday criticised Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa, Simon
Khaya Moyo, after he accused the South African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC) of unfairness in its coverage of Zimbabwe.

MISA director
in Zimbabwe, Rashweat Mukundu said Moyo's remarks amounted to unwarranted
interference in editorial matters insisting the ambassador had no right to
determine the kind of coverage the SABC should accord
Zimbabwe.

Mukundu said the remarks were also surprising because
Zimbabwe was receiving a lot of positive coverage on SABC.

In a
letter to the SABC, Moyo accused the public broadcaster of being driven by a
hidden agenda to portray Zimbabwe negatively.

Earlier this month,
Zimbabwe finance minister Herbert Murerwa kicked out an SABC crew from a
news conference in Harare where he was briefing the media on the country's
talks with the International Monetary Fund.

Murerwa accused the
SABC of being hostile to Zimbabwe. He however later called the SABC team and
briefed them separately.

The Zimbabwe government has often accused
foreign media of seeking to demonise President Robert Mugabe's
administration over the seizure of white-owned farms for redistribution to
landless blacks six years ago and other human rights issues.

The Zimbabwe government has had an acrimonious relationship with both local
and foreign-owned media. Four newspapers including the country's biggest
daily, The Daily News, have been banned over the past three years with more
than a hundred journalists arrested for flouting the country's tough media
laws. - ZimOnline

Zimbabwe magistrate defers sentence on ZANU PF senator

Zim Online

Thu
16 February 2006

KAROI - A Karoi town magistrate on Wednesday
deferred sentence on a ruling ZANU PF party senator who was last week
convicted of inciting political violence that claimed one man during last
March's parliamentary election.

The magistrate, Samuel
Muyemeki, last week remanded the senator, Phone Madiro in custody for
sentencing after he was convicted of inciting political violence against his
rival.

But yesterday, the magistrate deferred sentencing after
Madiro's lawyer, Chawaona Kanoti, made a fresh application for
bail.

Kanoti told the magistrate: "The accused is appealing to the
honourable court so that he can be granted bail pending sentence as he has
been in custody for five days."

The magistrate deferred the
sentencing to today saying he needed time to reconsider the submission made
by the defence.

The court heard that in December 2004, Madiro,
leading a group of 18 youths attacked supporters of his rival Cecilia
Gwachiwa who was vying to represent ZANU PF in last March's parliamentary
election.

Tichaona Manyembere, who belonged to a faction aligned to
Gwachiwa, was seriously injured during the attack by Madiro's supporters and
died two weeks later from the injuries.

Zimbabwe's main
opposition Movement for Democratic Change party has long accused Mugabe's
supporters of unleashing violence on political opponents to stay in power.
Mugabe denies the charge. - ZimOnline

Zimbabwe women protesters freed - lawyer

Harare - More than 180 women arrested during a
protest march this week in Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo were released
on Wednesday but 250 others remained in custody in Harare, a lawyer
said.

The marchers from the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) group
were demanding "roses and dignity" during the marches held in Bulawayo on
Monday and Harare on Tuesday.

"Some 141 people including 14
children who were arrested... were released on Wednesday in Bulawayo after
being charged with engaging in a march without police clearance and
obstructing traffic," said lawyer Sarah Chishiri.

"About 252
arrested in Harare on Tuesday are still in police cells. We are still
negotiating to secure their release," Chishiri of Zimbabwe's Lawyers for
Human Rights (ZLHR) told AFP.

A lawyer who was
arrested together with the protesters in Harare was released hours later,
she said.

Hundreds of women, some with children strapped to their
backs, took part in the Valentine's Day marches and were arrested and
charged under Zimbabwe's tough Public Order and Security Act (POSA) which
prohibits demonstrations and political gatherings without police
clearance.

"To coincide with Valentine's Day we were making a
statement demanding roses and the dignity they stand for and bread in the
form of affordable food for everyone," WOZA spokesperson Jenni Williams told
AFP on Tuesday.

Grocery stores across Zimbabwe have run out of the
staple cornmeal as the country continues to reel under chronic food
shortages and near record highs in inflation of 613 percent.

At
least four million of the country's population of 13 million will require
food aid until the next harvest in May, according to aid agencies.

President Robert Mugabe's government blames the food deficit on drought
which affected parts of southern Africa while his critics say shortages were
caused by the the land reform programme which saw the seizure of white-owned
commercial farms. - Sapa-AFP

Arbitrary
arrest and detention

The Observatory for the Protection of Human
Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for
Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in
Zimbabwe.

Brief description of the situation :

The Observatory has
been informed by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) about the
arbitrary arrest of nearly 300 demonstrators, including members of the NGO
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), in Bulawayo and Harare.

According to the
information received, on February 13, 2006, approximately 181 persons,
mainly women, who were demonstrating under the banner of the NGO Women of
Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), along with 14 children, were arrested in central
Bulawayo, as they were dispersing from a peaceful protest against human
rights violations. Among those arrested were four WOZA leaders, Mrs.
Jennifer Williams[1], Mrs. Magodonga Mahlangu, Mrs. Emily Mpofu and Mrs.
Maria Moyo, who were finger-printed and ordered to make statements. The
detainees were charged with "organising an unlawful gathering" (Section 24
of the Public Order and Security Act). Their lawyers, who were prevented
from seeing them, were told that they could see them on February 15,
2006.

Those arrested were allegedly exposed to heavy rains as they were
detained in the open police courtyard at Bulawayo Central police station for
several hours, before being moved to cells at around 10:30
pm.

Moreover, on February 14, 2006, over twenty uniformed police, armed
with baton sticks, and some sporting full riot gear, arrested between 60 and
100 women from WOZA in Harare at lunchtime, as they gathered in the city
centre as part of a peaceful protest against social and economic
inequalities faced by women in Zimbabwe. The women were rounded up and
callously loaded into trucks marked "City of Harare Municipal Police" to be
taken to the Law and Order section at Harare Central police station. Mr.
Tafadzwa Mugabe, a lawyer from the Rapid Reaction Unit of ZLHR, was
harassed, verbally abused and finally arrested and bundled into the truck
with his clients. Amongst the detainees are a considerable number of elderly
women, as well as at least one young child of around four years of
age.

These demonstrations are conducted every year in association with
Valentine's Day.

The Observatory expresses its deepest concern about
these events, and urges the Zimbabwean authorities to conform with article
12.2 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1998, which states that "The State
shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent
authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others,
against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of
his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present
Declaration".

More generally, the Observatory reiterates its concern
about the situation of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, who face serious
risks to their security as well as infringements of their freedoms of
expression and association.

Action requested :

Please write to
the Zimbabwean authorities, urging them to :

i. Guarantee, in all
circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of all persons
detained, including Mrs. Jennifer Williams, Mrs. Magodonga Mahlangu, Mrs.
Emily Mpofu, Mrs. Maria Moyo, Mr. Tafadzwa Mugabe, all WOZA members, as well
as of all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe;

ii. Ensure that those
arrested be immediately released and granted a fair and impartial trial so
that all charges against them be dropped, as they are arbitrary;

iii.
Put an end to all acts of harassment against WOZA members and all human
rights defenders in Zimbabwe;

iv. Conform with the provisions of the
Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular its article 1 which
states that "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with
others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human
rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels",
and article 12(2) above-mentioned;

v. Ensure in all circumstances
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with
international human rights standards and international instruments ratified
by Zimbabwe.

South Africa speeds up Zimbabwe asylum cases as 1000 arrive daily

By Violet Gonda 15 February 2006

The Zimbabwe Action
Support Group in South Africa (ZASG) has expressed concern over the number
of Zimbabweans being refused asylum in neighbouring South Africa. ZASG
spokesman Rogers Mudarikwa said at least 1 000 Zimbabweans are risking their
lives to get into the country daily. He claims South African authorities
believe these are mostly economic immigrants, and have therefore started
fast tracking asylum applications in order to force the Zimbabweans to go
back home.

The process, which usually takes more than 6 months, is
now reported to be taking two weeks.

Mudarikwa said the ZASG
has had more than 200 appeals from people who had their asylum cases
rejected since October last year. He said this is only in Pretoria and
Johannesburg. There are many Zimbabweans in other areas such as Cape Town,
Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein.

Human Rights lawyers, who are
helping some of the immigrants, are said to have appealed to the South
Africa Legal Aid body for help.

Zimbabweans are fleeing economic
and political hardships in droves and making the expensive and sometimes
very dangerous journey to neighbouring countries.

It's
estimated that there are at least two million Zimbabweans in South
Africa.

Civic Society Organisations to host global diaspora conference

There are plans by the
South African based Zimbabwe Diaspora Forum to host the first ever global
international conference for Zimbabweans living outside the
country.

According to Daniel Molokela, a leading activist in
Johannesburg, it is anticipated that the historic event will be held in
South Africa in April 2007.

'We expect representatives from
every corner of this globe to attend the conference. A top political figure
will be our guest at the conference. We will also invite representatives of
all political parties from Zimbabwe as well as top civic and church
leaders,' said Molokela from Johannesburg on Wednesday.

The
diaspora conference will seek to create a global platform that will discuss
both the short and long term roles of the millions of Zimbabweans now living
outside the country.

Molokela said some of the major outcomes
expected from the conference include the setting up of a global forum and
leadership for all Zimbabwean institutions and organisations that are based
in the diaspora.

He added that the conference will also look at the
adoption of a visionary policy document that will help to define the role of
the diaspora in the political and socio-economic development of the country
from both a long term and short term perspective.

The
party's disputed leader Morgan Tsvangirai has lost yet another round in his
battle to overturn the results of the 2002 presidential election, which
President Robert Mugabe maintains he won fairly.

At the time of the
2002 poll the MDC was in its ascendancy, but when the votes were finally
tallied, Mugabe had scored 56.2 percent to Tsvangirai's 41.9, with his
strongest showing predictably in the rural areas, a traditional support
base. Western and local election observers condemned the ballot as neither
free nor fair.

On Tuesday the Supreme Court dismissed an application by
Tsvangirai that it hear his appeal for nullification of the 2002 results.
This followed a High Court ruling in 2005 against Tsvangirai's bid to
overturn the poll verdict, for which the presiding judge gave no reasons
until months after his ruling.

This effectively hamstrung Tsvangirai from
filing an appeal, as appeals have to be filed within 15 days of a judgement
being handed down, his spokesman William Bango told IRIN. A second part of
Tsvangirai's challenge to the election results was yet to be concluded,
Bango added.

The court ruling was yet another blow for the beleaguered
Tsvangirai, currently fighting a leadership battle with a 'rebel' MDC
faction, led by vice-president Gibson Sibanda. The labour-backed MDC's
bitter wrangle over participation in last year's senate election split the
party in two, with each faction trying to expel or suspend its
opponents.

They will hold two separate congresses this year, which
analysts say is likely to lead to a finalisation of the split. Meanwhile,
smaller parties have emerged, further confusing the opposition political
landscape, say analysts.

Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network chairman
Reginald Machaba-Hove told IRIN that "the people of Zimbabwe deserve to have
viable political parties, including strong opposition parties, to help solve
the dire problems in the country, and not a plethora of smaller opposition
parties".

"We don't think that that is providing real choice to the
people of Zimbabwe, it tends to weaken the opposition and confuse the
electorate," he added.

Analyst Brian Raftopoulos noted that many of
the new political parties were formed by "ex [ruling party] ZANU-PF
dissenters, people like [former information minister] Jonathan Moyo, who
have no place to go within the MDC and still have links with the ruling
party - many are an extension of ZANU-PF".

"They have little
credibility, they are splinter groups that are likely to remain marginal,"
he concluded.

The MDC, meanwhile, appears to have divided along
geographical and ethnic lines. "Although the reasons for the split were not
fundamentally about ethnic tensions, the reconfiguration of the factions
definitely has an ethnic dimension," Raftopoulos noted.

The split
would "debilitate both factions of the MDC, as the strength of the party was
in its unity, at present neither faction has a strategy to confront Mugabe
and on their own they lack a national reach in terms of support, as one is
based mainly in Matabeleland [in the south] and the other has support in
other parts of the country".

To add to Tsvangirai's woes, the MDC appears
to be increasingly isolated within the region.

Recent comments by
South African President Thabo Mbeki indicated that he had grown increasingly
weary of trying to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis. He told the South
African Broadcast Corporation last week that in 2004 his 'quiet diplomacy'
policy towards Zimbabwe had almost resulted in a deal between ZANU-PF and
the MDC on a new constitution.

"They were actually involved in
negotiating a new constitution for Zimbabwe, and they did and they completed
it ... they gave me a copy initialled by everybody, done. So we thought the
next step then must be to say where do we take this process. But then ...
new problems arose among themselves. So we watch the situation and to the
extent that we can help in future, we will," Mbeki said.

"They asked
us to assist, to mend relations among themselves. It didn't work. We tried
to intervene but I think the rupture had gone too far," he added.

To
this, Tsvangirai's spokesman Bango replied that outside assistance was
secondary to internal Zimbabwean initiatives to end the crisis. "Whatever
African countries may try to do should be complimentary to efforts here at
home," he said.

Raftopoulos, however, said Mbeki's comments indicated
"a sense of growing frustration that his quiet diplomacy policy has produced
no fruits, the new wait and see approach [adopted by South Africa] is a
result of the failure of his [quiet diplomacy] efforts".

Last week
Tsvangirai and several MDC leaders were deported from Zambia when they met
in Livingstone, a tourist town on the border with Zimbabwe.

Raftopoulos
said the deportation was "confirmation of the fact that since the crisis
began in 2000, the region has been behind Mugabe".

The travails of the
MDC - the current leadership battle and split in the party, coupled with the
emergence of smaller opposition parties, a lack of democratic space in
Zimbabwe and eroding regional support for efforts to find a solution to the
country's political crisis - could see a changed political landscape,
Raftopoulos said.

"I think opposition politics is going into a hiatus
now, it will be a very dark and slow period in terms of opposition politics.
I think civic movements are also in the process of reorganising right now,
they are very much pushed on the defensive. On the whole, even though Mugabe
has problems internationally, at home the opposition presents him with few
difficulties," Raftopoulos concluded.

CPJ releases annual "Attacks on the Press"
report

zimbabwejournalists.com

By Forward Maisokwadzo

SANDRA Nyaira,
secretary of the Association of Zimbabwe Journalists in UK and Channel 4
News International Editor Lindsey Hilsum, were keynote speakers at the
launch of the Committee to Protect Journalists' annual press freedom survey
attacks on the press on Tuesday at Frontline Club in London.

Chaired by CPJ deputy director Joel Simon, the event, attended by
journalists and press freedom campaigners, marked the official launch of the
report, which also highlighted that "a regime of repressive laws and
regulations has kept a stranglehold on the independent press in
Zimbabwe."

CPJ publishes "Attacks on the Press" both on-line and in
book form each year. In the report, CPJ Africa program staff report that
civil conflict continued to threaten press freedom in Ivory Coast,
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Somalia, while a regime of
repressive laws and regulations has kept a stranglehold on the independent
press in Zimbabwe.

Ms Nyaira lambasted the Zimbabwe government's
reluctance to repeal the draconian pieces of legislation such as the Access
to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. She applauds CPJ for its
effort in helping and highlighting the need for the protection of
journalists facing threats. "CPJ work deserves praise and support. As
Zimbabwean journalists we are humbled by your support," said
Nyaira.

According to the report the murder rate for journalists in
sub-Saharan Africa doubled in 2005; four were killed for their work in
Somalia, Sierra Leone and DRC, compared to two the previous year. The number
of journalists behind bars jumped sharply in 2005, spurred by Ethiopia,
where over a dozen editors and publishers have been jailed following
anti-government protests in November. In addition, journalists across the
continent suffer daily harassment, violent attack, and threats. These
attacks continue despite the apparent spread of democracy, with over a dozen
elections held in 2005.

Board sets police on Ebrahim and Taibu

Cricinfo staff

February 15,
2006

Dion Ebrahim, Zimbabwe's former vice-captain, was
arrested this morning for using a ZC-sponsored car two weeks after the board
decided not to offer him a new contract. Ebrahim was held at Highlands
Police Station in Harare for several hours. Beatrice Mtetwa, his lawyer,
told journalists that the arrest was illegal as ZC had not paid Ebrahim his
outstanding match fees.

"They had him arrested because he was using their
car," Mtetwa said. "They are still holding him. I wrote their lawyers
telling them that we will not release the car until he is paid his dues.
They can only take the car with a court order. This case has nothing to do
with the police. This is a civil case. It is an abuse of the police, and ZC
have always done that."

A spokesman for the board told Cricinfo: "Ebrahim
no longer has a contract with ZC and so there are no grounds for him to
continue using ZC property. Because of the continued unlawful use of the ZC
vehicle, ZC approached the police to retrieve from a former employee what
belongs to it."

It later emerged that Tatenda Taibu, the former captain
who quit international cricket, had also been contacted by the police. He
told Associated Press: "I am not handing over the car until I have been paid
all the money I am owed in several months' salary and Test match fees
amounting to a large sum of money." Ebrahim said on his release: "Like
Tatenda said, they are not getting the car until they pay me all the money I
am due, which is a lot."

Ebrahim and Taibu are among a number of
players who are still owed around $200,000 in backpay. ZC has repeatedly
avoided settling, and even though they were supposed to be paid in US
dollars, the players claim that ZC has only offered to settle in Zimbabwe
dollars at a derisory exchange rate.

"The issue of Ebrahim's payment is
separate from his continued use of the ZC vehicle," the spokesman said.
"However, for the record, Ebrahim collected part of his payment from us and
rejected the other cheque saying it was not in the form he wanted, possibly
foreign currency. As we have said before, we are under advice to pay in
local currency. Thus, the payment that Ebrahim says is outstanding to him is
only so because he has made it that."

Although the strike by leading
players ended last week when almost all of them signed new contracts, the
issue of backpay remains unresolved. Critics of the board claim that it has
no money, and it is also reported that ZC has approached the ICC and asked
for an advance of the money it will receive from the 2007 World Cup to help
it meet its running costs.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management
Authority, ZCDT standoff

African News Dimension

continues

Wednesday, 15 February 2006,
10 hours, 43 minutes and 57 seconds ago.

By George
Nyathi

Zimbabwe(A.N.D)THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management
Authority (ZPWMA)and the Zimbabwe Conservation and Development Taskforce
standoff has turned personal after the authority banished the latter's
chairman from any of its parks in the wildlife rich Matabeleland North
province.

Johnnie Rodrigues, the chairman of the taskforce said
that although the authority wanted to accept the donation, it was not happy
with him being at the forefront of the delivery of the donation. Rodrigues
has been virtually turned enemy number one by the authority after a series
of statements it felt were in bad taste over the state of affairs at the
giant Hwange National Park. Last year alone, a total of 26
elephants died at the park due to shortage of water, forcing the taskforce
to send an S.O.S for assistance from wildlife-friendly
organisations.

According to Rodrigues, the statements that he has
made over the years with regards to the administration of parks business
have created animosity between himself and the authority to an extent that
the authority no longer wants to entertain any organization intending to do
business with it (the parks authority). Rodrigues told andnetwork:
"This is all about personalities and not the real business at hand. This
whole war has turned personal and they have made sure that they barred me
from entering the park. "They believe that should I enter the park, I am
bound to see a lot of things they have not been doing well. They also fear
that should I see those things, I am bound to alert the international
community and that will exert a lot of pressure on them."

Rodrigues said that he had every reason to believe that the parks authority
was concerned about the hand-over of the equipment by himself as this was
evidenced by recent developments with regards to the equipment. "As I
said, they do not want me to be involved. Its specifically me. We took part
of that equipment there and the next thing is that we see some of the cars
being fixed using spare parts that we handed over to them. Their vehicles in
Robins Camp and Sinamatella have been sorted out using those parts,"
Rodrigues added. He also disclosed that he had sought audience with the
Environment and Tourism Minister, Francis Nhema on the matter, saying that
he had expressed displeasure at the way the parks authority was conducting
its business.

Bodies decompose as mortuary breaks
down

ABOUT 100 bodies are in
an advanced state of decomposition at Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary as
the hospital's cooling system has broken down.

The situation
has been worsened by overcrowding as the mortuary, which currently has over
100 bodies, has a carrying capacity of 24.

At a meeting with
stakeholders on Tuesday, Midlands Governor Cde Cephas Msipa described the
situation as critical and called for an urgent need to repair the facility.
A contractor hired by the institution to repair the mortuary allegedly
failed to do the work, resulting in the cooling system blowing hot air. "Our
mortuary is overcrowded and the heat has actually made the situation worse
as bodies are being cooked. It is unhealthy and unfair to people who work
there," he said. "There is also a general reluctance by some families to
give their departed relatives a decent burial, yet our culture dictates that
the dead should receive a decent burial."

Midlands Provincial
Medical Director, Dr Anderson Chimusoro, said some of the bodies at the
mortuary were "now bones only", "We arranged with the contractor to come on
a regular basis, but with the bodies in such a decomposing state, it has
become difficult for anyone to work there," he said. "He is actually failing
to repair the cooling system and the hot air has caused some of the flesh on
the bodies to peel off.

The state of the mortuary has made it
difficult for repairs to go on." To address the situation the Government has
since offered to give pauper's burial to 90 bodies. Cde Msipa appealed to
members of the public to collect the bodies of their relatives on time to
reduce congestion at the mortuary. "Some bodies go for six months without
being collected," he said.

Government warns NGOs - again

The
government of Zimbabwe has once again warned non-governmental organisations
operating in the country to stick with the humanitarian relief agenda and
desist from intefering in the country's internal affairs.

Addressing guests at a function in Bulawayo on Monday, Sithokozile Mathuthu,
the governor of Matabeleland North province said Zimbabwe welcomed
international NGOs but warned that they would not be allowed to interfere in
the country's internal affairs.

"We do not fight NGOs, but it
should be made clear that we will not allow them to interefere in the
internal affairs of the country," Mathuthu said.

In the last
three years, the government has banned the operations of three NGOs in
Matabeleland North after accusing them of colluding with the
opposition.

It has also banned political and human rights civic
education campaigns on allegations that NGOs were hiding behind such
campaigns to turn the people towards the opposition and against the
government.

The governor's remarks came as ruling party
parliamentarians and government controlled newspapers renewed calls for a
bill to regulate the NGO sector. Kumbirai Kangai, the deputy speaker of
parliament was quoted in the media as calling for mechanisms to monitor the
NGOs.

Last year, the ZANU PF dominated parliament approved a harsh
draft NGO Bill which was only frozen when President Robert Mugabe refused to
sign into law. NGOs have long complained of curtailment and harassment by
the secret state security agents and the police.

Minister Murdered Our Son - Mutonhori
Family

The family of the murdered
Strover Mutonhori, the alleged lover of Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi's
wife, have said they are eagerly awaiting a cabinet reshuffle that could
move the Home Affairs chief to another portfolio to enable the opening of
investigations into their relative's murder.

The family
spoke as Mohadi was hauled before a Bulawayo High Court yesterday facing
charges of threatening former Zanu PF Matabeleland South provincial chairman
Lloyd Siyoka at gunpoint. Zimdaily heard that progress on the high profile
murder case has been thwarted since 2002 when Mohadi was appointed Home
Affairs minister. Mohadi was one of the suspects in the 1999 murder of
Mutonhori, alleged to have been having an extra-marital affair with Mohadi's
wife. Mohadi's wife and Mutonhori were both employed by a non governmental
organisation in Bulawayo when the incident occurred.

Mutonhori disappeared in mysterious circumstances from Omadu Hotel in
Maphisa, Kezi, where he was said to had been seen in the company of Mohadi's
wife. His remains were later found at a remote spot in Mzingwane District,
outside Bulawayo. Mohadi was interviewed by the police in connection with
the murder. A spokesman for the Mutonhori family, who declined to be named
for security reasons told Zimdaily yesterday that police last contacted them
in connection with the investigations into the murder in
2002.

They told the family they had interviewed Mohadi. "Ever
since his appointment to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the case just
disappeared," said the family spokesperson. "We have reason to believe he
murdered our son. Now he is standing trial for threatening (Zanu PF
Matabeleland South chairman Lloyd) Siyoka at gunpoint. This man is a
murderer. Jusice delayed is justice denied," quipped the family
spokesman.

The spokesperson claimed some members of the
family were harassed by unidentified people shortly after Mutonhori's
murder. Zimdaily understands that following the appointment of Mohadi to the
Home Affairs portfolio, the matter was transferred from Matabeleland South
to the Special Investigating Branch at the Police General Headquarters
(PGHQ) in Harare. The officer investigating the case, Chief Superintendent C
R Gora, yesterday switched off his cellphone when contacted for comment on
the progress of investigations into the case.

The police
department falls under the Minister of Home Affairs, which Mohadi is in
charge of. Reached for comment Mohadi said yesterday: "I do not understand
what these people want from me. The Mutonhori family is free to contact me
or my lawyers, instead of communicating with me through the Press." He
denied that he had interfered with investigations into the murder case.
Mohadi was elevated from Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works
and National Housing to the post previously held by the ruling Zanu PF party
national chairman, John Nkomo in 2002 when President Mugabe announced what
he termed a "war cabinet."

Sources at the PGHQ told Zimdaily
that the Mutonhori docket had disappeared and that the evidence had been
seriously tampered with. Mohadi is a former member of Zipra, the armed wing
of PF Zapu during the war, led by Joshua Nkomo, the late former
Vice-President.

Wednesday, February 15 2006 @ 09:04 AM
GMT Contributed by: correspondent By Willian
Bango Over the past six years and even beyond, Mr. Morgan
Tsvangirai has watched The Herald take a special interest in him as leader
of the MDC. That is understandable. Mr. Tsvangirai, as the President of the
largest political party in Zimbabwe today, is holding the ball; he carries a
message which resonates with millions of people at home and
abroad.

Commentators rarely lose sight of the ball or leave
the field of play to check on the player's family welfare or the performance
of the player's children at school while the game is on. As soon as a player
drops the ball, all public or spectator attention shifts to the next player
in possession of that ball. Should a commentator ignore the player's role
and fixes attention on the person, then the commentary ceases to be about
the game. It becomes something else.

For this reason, Mr.
Tsvangirai seeks to exercise his right of reply to the commentary published
in The Herald from one Caesar Zvayi on Tuesday 7 February 2006, headlined:
Tsvangirai cursed? This man is a liability, even to himself, no serious
group, faction, or whatever can afford to have him and continue to claim
legitimacy. The article bases itself on a number of contested points: Where
was Mr. Tsvangirai's father, Chibwe, quoted as having uttered the said
disparaging statements, and by whom? Who was old Chibwe talking to? What has
that to do with Mr. Tsvangirai (54) and his political career as an
individual? And, in particular, his recent trip to
Zambia?

Zvayi states that Mr. Tsvangirai's wife, Susan,
"sealed his fate when she baked him a birthday cake in the mould of State
House. Morgan ate his cake and can't have it anymore." How does The Herald,
a mass circulation daily newspaper, expect Mr. Tsvangirai to exercise his
right of reply on statements like these? Should he pry into Zvayi's
household to find an appropriate counter in the shapes or moulds of cakes
Zvayi enjoys from his loved one? You allow St. Mary's MP, Job Sikhala to use
The Herald to label Mr. Tsvangirai a moron without giving your readers any
evidence from Sikhala. You further allow, Sikhala to state that Mr.
Tsvangirai failed his studies in Form Two, when a casual check at Silveira
Mission in Bikita could have easily dismissed that
falsehood.

You further claim, quoting Sikhala, that "the
people of Zimbabwe are now tired of being fronted by a moron." Sikhala is
not the people of Zimbabwe. And, more importantly, if Mr. Tsvangirai wants
to defend himself against this vitriol, to whom should he direct attention:
Caesar Zvayi, the person, The Herald, the newspaper, or Job Sikhala, the MP?
Would you publish Mr. Tsvangirai's side, in those circumstances? Zvayi
claims to have reached "several conclusions from Tsvangirai's deportation."
In the first place, Mr. Tsvangirai and others did not meet with anyone
representing "subversive organization known to have destabilized several
African countries".

Further, it is untrue that "Morgan had
visited Zambian President Levi Mwanawasa a few days earlier and held
discussions him but did not tell him that he would be proceeding to hold
meetings with fiercest rival, Anderson Mazoka." Mr. Tsvangirai last visited
Zambia in 2004, in the company of suspended MDC treasurer Fletcher
Dulini-Ncube. His visit and discussions with Zambian officials, including
President Mwanawasa were widely publicized. During his stay in Lusaka, he
never met with Anderson Mazoka. While in Livingstone last week, Mr.
Tsvangirai never held a meeting with Mr. Mazoka nor any of his
officials.

Mr. Tsvangirai and others were not "force-marched
for 8km in the dead of night to the Zimbabwean border." We drove to the
border. Zvayi states that "it is also quite revealing that Tsvangirai
registered under a false name at Zambezi Sun International Hotel." Again
this is untrue. A day after Mr. Tsvangirai arrived in Zambia, members of the
secret service visited him at the same hotel, took his passport and
photocopied the entire document. How was this possible if he had traveled
into Zambia and registered his stay at the hotel
incognito?

Your readers can never be misled by a sensational
assertion that Mr. Tsvangirai can manage to enter a public place, a country
or a hotel under a false physical identity and a false name. When he passed
through Zimbabwe immigration at Victoria Falls, officials and members of the
public were able to recognize him. Would it have been possible to fake his
own identity when his passport stated his name and details? Mind you, Mr.
Tsvangirai was in Zambia for two days before being deported on Thursday, six
hours before he was scheduled to leave that country.

Mr.
Tsvangirai seeks an explanation as to why The Herald lets Zvayi get away
with unsupported statements which he calls evidence to portray Mr.
Tsvangirai as a man who "does not believe his infamy has spread far and
wide.." Mr. Tsvangirai wants to know why The Herald allows Zvayi to base his
so-called analysis on erroneous facts and concludes that "the greatest
tragedy here is the fact that Tsvangirai continued to show that he is an
enemy of the people by conniving with organizations known to have
destabilized African governments, and which have been implicated in the
assassination of various African leaders in recent
times.".

Can statements like these be substantiated? Which
African leaders were assassinated in recent times? Who were the assassins?
How is Mr. Tsvangirai conniving with the said assassins? Which foreign
organisation did Mr. Tsvangirai meet in Livingstone? None. The meetings in
Livingstone were MDC meetings, to discuss MDC affairs with MDC officials.
There is nothing amiss or untoward about such meetings. We have them all the
time, in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. Right now, Mr. Tsvangirai concluded a
series of consultative meetings with our structures in Manicaland (Friday,
Saturday and Sunday). Yesterday, he was in Masvingo on a similar business
before proceeding to Gweru and the Midlands.

The National
Chairman, Mr. Isaac Matongo, party spokesman Hon. Nelson Chamisa and our
transport portfolio secretary, Thoko Khupe are overseas for a series of
consultative meetings with our structures and members. Other senior
officials are in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa on similar missions.
Elsewhere in Zimbabwe, our executives at all levels are in constant
consultation on the state of the party and the state of the struggle for
democracy. There is nothing unusual about this kind of political
activity.

Zvayi says Mr. Tsvangirai "showed a willingness to
continue with his puppetry even though it has brought him nothing but misery
over the past six years." This is an empty statement. Obviously, Zvayi is in
a state of denial. He refuses to see the widespread national misery all
around him, arising from misgovernance, corruption and the crisis of
legitimacy in our midst. Zvayi must read the latest monetary policy
statement from Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono to understand the source
and state of Zimbabwe's economic collapse, grinding poverty and general
national malaise. He does not need to suck in Mr. Tsvangirai in a crisis
whose roots, the majority can clearly see for themselves.

Zvayi concludes by firing a broadside at everybody in the MDC for being led
by Mr. Tsvangirai. That is an opinion I believe he is entitled to peddle as
a known activist for a particular party or cause. But he must be reminded,
even as he concludes his analysis, that it is unfair to drag old Chibwe
Tsvangirai into a debate that has nothing to do with him. Let us avoid the
temptation to satisfy garish curiosity.

Mr. Tsvangirai
believes the rights of individuals must be respected, together with the
right of the public to be fully informed about events and the circumstances
surrounding them. He is therefore challenging The Herald to publish this
letter to enable your readers to reach their own conclusions, independently
of Caesar Zvayi's politically contaminated emotions and contested
ideas.

Tertiary College fee hikes a blow
to the right to education

MDC Press Statement15 February 2006

The hike in fees at tertiary colleges is yet
another blow to an already battered education system that has failed to
address the nation's needs.

Colleges increased their fees by over 100
percent this term against a backdrop of low incomes and inadequate student
payouts. The MDC believes the right to education is a right for every child.
What the state-owned tertiary colleges are simply doing is to commercialize
our children's basic right to access quality education which should help
enhance national development.

The MDC believes the right to tertiary
education should not be a preserve of relatives and children of tycoons and
dealers---the nouveau riche---but should be accessible to everyone
regardless of their social standing. It shows this government has a
Rhodesian hangover, in which education was a preserve of the elite. It makes
a mockery of the liberation struggle if our children have to suffer the
ignominy of playing second fiddle to the rich and powerful when it comes to
accessing tertiary education.

But the government's creation of
bottlenecks to make sure that the economically challenged students do not
access tertiary education does not come as a surprise. The children of
Cabinet ministers and senior government and Zanu PF officials are in
colleges in Europe, the Americas and other continents around the world and
these charlatans do not care a hoot if our children fail are unable to go to
our own local colleges and universities.

We also note with dismay that
the new fee structure was only announced last week and some students have
been asked to pay the fees before month-end, well before their pittance that
serves as their payouts has been disbursed. This is a recipe for disaster
and is likely to spark student unrests, which have been the hallmark of our
colleges ever since this regime lost touch with the students in the late
1980s. This regime's gripe with the students is understandable. In 1988, the
students rallied the nation in thwarting this regime's desire to establish a
one-party state in Zimbabwe.

The new fee structure is just one area
characterizing the rot in the entire education system. The rot manifests
itself in the shortage of textbooks in our schools and colleges, the low
morale among our teachers and lecturers over inadequate salaries and poor
working conditions, as well as the chaos and corruption at ZIMSEC. Our
national universities and colleges have become a collective source of
national shame, again characterized by dilapidated buildings and halls of
residence, dysfunctional ablution and sewer systems, poor libraries and low
staff and student morale.

What this government is doing is against the
spirit of global and continental initiatives such as NEPAD, the Millennium
Development Goals and the United Nations Charter, which acknowledge the
right to education as a basic and fundamental right.

The MDC believes
in academic freedom as well as quality education that is affordable to our
children regardless of their social background. We believe that our
children's basic rights such as education should never be compromised for
political expediency. We believe in people power to pressure this regime to
pave way for a new Zimbabwe and a new beginning.

New Political Party Formed In Bulawayo

Zim Daily

Wednesday, February 15 2006 @ 09:03 AM GMT Contributed by:
correspondent A new political party has been formed in the second
city of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo. The Patriotic Union of Matabeleland, (PUMA) is
expected to formally announce its agenda early in March. At the moment,
officials remain tight-lipped over their political intentions citing
security concerns. The new political outfit, fronted by a group of civic
leaders and political activists from Matabeleland and Midlands provinces, is
set to represent the interests of the provinces which have remained largely
undeveloped. Ndebele speaking people are the majority of the inhabitants of
the region.

President Robert Mugabe, a Zezuru heads a
cabinet dominated by ministers from his tribe, fuelling disgruntlement from
politicians from other tribes. Among a host of nagging problems in
Matabeleland, water remains critically short and plans by the Zanu PF
government to undertake the Zambezi Matabeleland Water project have not
succeeded.

Former Zimbabwe Teachers Association Leader
(Zimta) leader, Leonard Nkala, is reported to have set up a 45-member
executive committee, which will spearhead the launch of PUMA. Former Zanu-PF
Bulawayo spokesperson, Sikhumbuzo Ndiweni, who is the party's interim
secretary general, said they were also working on the establishment of
external wings, one focusing on Southern Africa, and another on the rest of
the world. "We are currently working on setting up our structures, but
everything would be complete on time for the official
launch.

Some of our members are drawn from the ruling party,
as well as both factions of the MDC. The interest from the diaspora is also
very overwhelming," said Ndiweni. A source in the party said PUMA's
promoters felt that they could capitalise on the fact that people in the
area still had fresh memories of an 80's crack military operation code named
Gukurahundi.

The operation conducted by the Zimbabwe's
North Korean trained Fifth Brigade, left an estimated 20 000 civilians dead
as soldiers sniff out a few dissidents who operated in the area. Up to now
survivors of the operation have not been compensated and this remains a
major source of disgruntlement. Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) draws the bulwark of its support from
this region. Officials of PUMA have in the past few weeks held meetings with
students at universities and teachers colleges. The new party joins the fray
at a a time when MDC is threatened with a split.

Crisis-Torn Air Zimbabwe's Problems Mount

Zim Daily

Wednesday, February 15 2006 @ 09:03 AM GMT Contributed by:
correspondent The crisis torn airliner Air Zimbabwe, which last
week cancelled its Friday flight to London due to an acute shortage of fuel,
has cobbled up a contingency plan to buy Jet A1 direct from the
corruption-ridden National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (NOCZIM) in a last ditch
effort to save its fleet from grinding to halt due to perennial fuel and
technical problems.

Hardly a day after cancelling its London
flight, the airliner was forced to ground its Lusaka-bound MA60 aircraft,
donated from China recently, after it developed a technical fault. Air
Zimbabwe's fortunes have been flagging in recent years because of critical
shortages of fuel and spares and allegations of maladministration including
plying non-profitable routes. The airline has lost nearly $980 billion to
the Dubai and China route since they were introduced early last
year.

Early this year the airline flew one passenger from
Harare to Dubai on a plane that carries 200 passengers. In July last year,
it cancelled some of its domestic and international flights because of fuel
shortages and lack of spares for its Boeing planes. Zimbabwe has been
experiencing fuel shortages in the last six years blamed on shortages of
hard currency. Air Zimbabwe officials said spares for some of its planes had
been phased out by the manufacturer, Boeing.

Following
the imposition of targeted sanctions and isolation by western countries over
the political crisis in the country, Zimbabwe has adopted the "Look East"
policy, fostering close relations with Asian countries, particularly China,
Malaysia and Singapore. In April, Air Zimbabwe took delivery of five MA60
passenger planes from China's state-owned AVIC aircraft
manufacturer.

Zimbabwe's national carrier last year grounded
its entire fleet and suspended the airline's boss after running out of fuel.
All flights were cancelled until further notice owing to the shortage of Jet
A1 fuel, inconveniencing hundreds of passengers. Air Zimbabwe board then
suspended chief executive Tendai Mahachi and company secretary Tendai Mujuru
"pending investigations into serious disruptions of the national airliner's
operations and services," Stranded and frustrated passengers were milling
around the Harare International Airport departure lounges after Air Zimbabwe
cancelled all its. Among those affected were passengers travelling to
Johannesburg, Kampala, Singapore, Malawi, Zambia and the tourist resort of
Victoria Falls.

MPs get peanuts

Daily Mirror, Zimbabwe

Takunda Maodzaissue
date :2006-Feb-15

HOUSE of Assembly Representatives are getting peanuts
in salaries and allowances that are far below the poverty datum line, with
each lawmakers' gross salary pegged at about $12 million.The MPs rank
among the worst remunerated in the southern African region and other parts
of the continent.A random research by The Daily Mirror indicated that MPs in
Tanzania and Kenya, for example, were getting US$1 000 and US$5 000 a month
while a junior legislator in South Africa earned R370 000 per annum last
year-equating to a monthly salary of slightly above R30 800.MPs in
Nigeria were earning as much as US$2 000, five years ago.A number of
legislators in Zimbabwe are unemployed and solely depend on the low salaries
for survival.The poverty datum line for January was put at $21,8 million for
a family of six, according to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ), and is
expected to increase by month-end because of the ever-rising
inflation.The annual rate of inflation crept from 585,2 percent in December
to 613,2 last month.A payslip for one lawmaker shows a gross salary of
$14 249 544.00, minus allowances, and a net salary slightly above $12
million, which translates to around US$120 a month only.Like civil
servants, the lawmakers' pay slips have also been inscribed with the words:
"Live within your means: Shun Corruption."In an interview with The Daily
Mirror yesterday, one legislator said lawmakers were now being forced to use
their own resources to tour constituencies and do other "pressing"
duties.He insisted that what they were getting were salaries rather than
allowances."People think that we earn a lot of money when in fact we are
reeling in poverty like anyone else as our salaries fall far below the
poverty datum line."We are using our own resources in touring our
constituencies and our salaries are not even enough to buy monthly
groceries," said the lawmaker.The legislator said they always incur
additional expenses especially when some people in their constituencies
suffer tragedies like death or fail to raise school fees."They come to
our houses asking for help. They ask for assistance because they believe we
earn a lot of money by virtue of being members of the House," added the
lawmakers. As a result, they have to find means of raising the money to
assist their constituents.Another legislator likened being in the House
of Assembly to doing community service."With the current salary, nothing
balances up. We are just doing community service. In fact, the majority of
legislators are using their own resources in touring their constituencies
and doing other duties," the lawmaker said.The legislator joked: "Maybe it
is because lawmakers do not have a workers' committee; otherwise it's a
voluntary exercise."Yesterday, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly,
Kumbirai Kangai said the issue was being looked into and urged members of
the House to carry on with their duties as usual.Kangai said: "They
should come to the House. There is no one who gets what he or she needs;
they are at least getting something. Theirs are not salaries but allowances
and we know that they cannot cover everything. We also know that in other
countries the allowances are much higher and the issue is being looked
into."Kangai justified the "allowances" the lawmakers were getting, saying
the legislators were not full time employees of the House of
Assembly."Being a parliamentarian (House of Assembly Representative) is not
a full time job and they (lawmakers) must have other jobs besides being
legislators," added Kangai.The veteran politician said legislators were
getting allowances not salaries because "parliamentarian work" was a part
time with the House normally sitting at 2.15 pm and adjourning between 5pm
-7pm. "The rest of the time they would be free," he said."They are only
employed from 2.15pm to between 5pm and 7pm," he said.Kangai also stressed
that people should not be legislators simply because of the financial aspect
of it but because of the willingness to represent those who voted them into
the House.He said lawmakers living out of Harare were getting benefits in
the form of hotel allowances amounting to $6 million per day each and were
"well catered for.""Those living in Harare and within a 40 km radius are
not given the allowanaces," Kangai said.

Curtains for the house that Solomon built expose
Sekesai

Daily Mirror, Zimbabwe

The Daily Mirror Reporterissue date :2006-Feb-15

"THE
mansion was built for the mayor," Sekesai Makwavarara, the chairperson of
the government-appointed commission administering the Harare City Council
was recently quoted saying.She was very right - because the Gunhill
mansion which sits on acres of land in one of Harare's leafy suburbs is the
official home of the executive mayor of the country's capital.It is not
disputable that the stately home is the mayor's. Neither is it disputable
that mayors in Zimbabwe get into the coveted offices through the
ballot.But judging by her recent press remarks, what is disputable about
the chairperson's credentials is that rather than steady the rocky Town
House, Makwavarara is fast becoming an expert at stirring
controversy.Maybe this is so because she is filling in for a mayor through
an appointment. Apologies to madame chairlady!Makwavarara's true colours
are beginning to show. Many thought she was a chameleon when she dumped the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on whose ticket she was elected as a
councillor and deputy mayor to rejoin Zanu PF.Yet, events on the ground seem
to suggest otherwise. They depict Makwavarara being more concerned about her
lifestyle rather than the welfare of the city she is meant to
represent.Perceived in political circles as a turncoat, she has shown her
recklessness in public office by not hiding her desire for material
goodies.Her demands for about $35 billion to furnish the Gunhill mansion in
which she has a mandate to stay, increasingly shows the visions or lack of
it, of somebody whose priorities are not in order.For goodness sake,
chairperson of the Harare Commission, the capital is running down and all
you can think about are curtains furnishing the mayoral mansion.Now that
the government has intervened and stopped Makwavarara in her tracks by
declaring that the material needs of the capital's interim leader are not a
priority for now, we hope she now sees the light.Musavaya Reza, the senior
government official did well to clip her wings.Reza works for the Ministry
of Local Government, Public Works and Urban DevelopmentThe inquisitive
have noted that Makwavarara's good fortune has become too much of a mere
coincidence. They believe that the woman is either a shrewd and cunning
plotter or that she has a strong political backing, or at least she thinks
so.Makwavarara took many by surprise when she boldly declared she would be
moving from the guesthouse into the mayoral mansion, which has evaded men of
sterner stuff - like the late national hero Solomon Tawengwa.History has
shown that living in the mansion comes at a price. Tawengwa was found on the
wrong side of the law before he could enjoy one night's sleep in the
seemingly haunted villa.MDC's Elias Mudzuri, the former executive mayor,
never enjoyed its comfort for long either, after Local Government Minister
Ignatius Chombo fired him on charges of poor service delivery."I am
moving into the mansion with or without the curtains and furniture. The
mansion was built for the mayor. (Nomutsa) Chideya has failed to buy the
curtains and furniture, so I am moving in," Makwavarara declared
recently.She even went further by boasting that she would use her own money
to buy the property she required if council did not have money.By
demanding in excess of $35 billion just for her luxury, Makwavarara actually
broke one of the cardinal rules of the Urban Councils Act which stipulates
that local authorities can only buy goods and services not exceeding $300
million without going to tender.Reports say, $10 billion was needed for the
purchase of curtains, $8 billion for furniture, the net sum would amount to
$35 billion as it was to be borrowed from other departments at an interest
rate of 70 percent per annum over five years.A soothsayer would surely
not earn his stripes by foretelling why Makwavarara has laid strong emphasis
on curtains. What does she want to hide in a public house? This has
heightened speculation that she might have a lot of fish to fry in the house
that Solomon built.Worsening matters are that Makwavarara says she is not
bothered who provides the curtains and furniture as long as it done
immediately.To that, the former MDC councillor reportedly quipped:
"Everybody was invited. I do not care whether it is my sister or my friend.
All I want is to see the house furnished."However, Reza said council had
to go through tender procedures to buy the property.The squabbling over
Makwavarara's furniture comes hard on the heels of power struggles between
town clerk Nomutsa Chideya and strategist Chester Mhende.Both incidents have
occurred against the background of poor service delivery by the city
authority, which has dogged the capital for endless times.Residents have
been hard done by the local authorities' failure to collect refuse and to
repair roads and street lights among other issues.The hullabaloo at Town
House is unprecedented and makes the cases of suspended mayor Misheck
Kagurabadza and Misheck Shoko of Mutare and Chitungwiza respectively, a drop
in the ocean in comparison with the goings-on at the Harare
municipality.The two Mishecks, at least were known to be working towards
meeting set deadlines, which they allegedly failed to meet.Makwavarara
has never had an ultimatum issued on her despite the glaring shortcomings of
her regime.Instead of thanking the heavens for that she has the temerity to
demand benefits, which by any standards, is pushing her luck too
far.Makwavarara's behaviour puts paid to fears that she is at Town House for
the residents.Last year, she embarked on a controversial trip to Russia,
which blew billions of dollars when Harare was struggling to meet some of
the basic requirements of a capital city. Something has to be done about
this extravagant behaviour before things go out ofhand.

NRZ promises reliable service to
commuters

Daily Mirror, Zimbabwe

The Daily Mirror Reporterissue date :2006-Feb-15

THE
National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has assured passengers of cheap and
reliable transport in the face of incessant hikes in commuter fares.NRZ
spokesperson, Fanuel Masikati, said the parastatal had recently increased
the sitting capacities of wagons to ensure that passengers commuted safely
to and from work."We remain dedicated and committed to transporting workers
and other members of the public to and from work in all areas where there
are commuter trains.Recently, we increased the carrying capacities of our
trains from 100 to 150. We want to assure the public that commuter trains
will always be there," Masikati said.The NRZ also increased the number
of trips last year for its commuter trains from a single trip to two-in the
morning and evening.The availability of the urban commuter trains in
Bulawayo and Harare, where there are two locomotives for commuters whose
residential areas are close to the railway network, has seen hundreds of
people thronging the stations to avoid expensive road trips.Masikati
said the national railway transporter would also work on improving the
lighting within the train wagons.Rail remains the cheapest mode of transport
for commuters, with trains charging a quarter of the fares charged by
commuter omnibus operators.A trip by an urban commuter trip is $10 000 while
by road it is on average $40 000.Commuters in some areas, however, feel
hard done by the unavailability of the same service, as there are no rail
networks in their areas.Plans to establish a railway line between Harare and
Chitungwiza have to date not borne fruit for years because of what
authorities say are logistical problems.

'City fires chief strategist Mhende'

AS the squabbles at the
troubled Harare City Council deepened yesterday, impeccable sources told
this newspaper last night that the municipal's chief strategist Chester
Mhende has been fired.

The sources said Mhende was sacked following a
full council meeting on Monday night for alleged insubordination and making
unsanctioned public statements to the media."He has been sent home as we
speak on charges ranging from insubordination, no respect for authority and
disrupting the day to day running of the municipality," the sources
said.Mhende, who was last year appointed by local government minister
Ignatius Chombo to assist turn around the city's fortunes, is said to have
become the law unto himself.The high-ranking official stressed the
decision to fire Mhende had nothing to do with Chombo as it was a council
decision.Efforts to get comment from Mhende were fruitless last
night.However, Chombo last night said he is unaware of that decision."I
have not yet heard anything to that effect. Contact me tomorrow," Chombo
said.Pressed whether it was possible for him not to know about this
latest development when he was the one who appointed Mhende, the minister
answered: "I would not know whether it's true or false, but I will be
certainly well informed tomorrow."Soon after his appointment, Mhende
declined to hand in his CV and he has been at loggerheads with Town Clerk
Nomutsa Chideya over operations at the council.He even attempted to
cause an investigation into Chideya's conduct-a move that so irked the Town
Clerk that he in turn threatened to fire any council employee who dared
listen to Mhende.Chideya has also had his share of controversy locking horns
with former council spokesperson Leslie Gwindi over the latter's alleged
refusalto relocate to his new office following hisappointment as
director for waste management.Gwindi has since been suspended pending a
hearing into his case. Chideya then turned his guns against chairperson of
the commission running Harare, Sekesai Makwavarara over her demand to have
the mayoral mansion furnished for a whooping $35 billion.

Zimbabwe Vigil Diary - 11th February 2006

The space between the four
maple trees outside Zimbabwe House has become too small. We are now
regularly spilling outside our bannered enclosure into the rest of the small
piazza in front of the Embassy. It makes our presence even more of a
challenge to people from Charing Cross station passing by on their way to
the attractions of Covent Garden. To some, no doubt, we were a small
sideshow to a big demonstration in nearby Trafalgar Square attended by
thousands of Muslims protesting in dignified manner about what they see as
"Islamaphobia" - the rejection of the group as a whole because of certain
elements. Zimbabweans - rejected by so many - will feel the pain. But we
are here every week, not just occasionally, determined to stay until there
are free and fair elections so we can rebuild our country
democratically.

And on a bright winter's day our pin-up was Tinotenda
Vigil Muzuwa who was celebrating her 2nd birthday with a pink cake and 70
"relatives". She has been coming to the Vigil since before she was born.
She had other small ones to share the occasion, among them was baby Tatenda
who, by the end of the Vigil, was out for the count in his buggy.

We
were glad to welcome Patricia, the daughter of Jairos Jiri, who did so much
for the disabled in Zimbabwe. The fact that we are becoming a fixture was
driven home at the end of a typically boisterous day when one of the
notoriously strict parking attendants let us off a parking ticket in
recognition of what we are doing.

Next week the Vigil is to be
preceded by a demonstration at Zimbabwe House from noon to 2 pm in support
of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) who stage an annual protest to mark
Valentine's Day. Their theme this year is inspired by the "Bread and Roses"
strike led and won by American women workers in 1912. For WOZA in 2006,
bread symbolizes their need for affordable food and roses signify the need
to be dignified and the call for social justice. Please come and support
them.

FOR THE RECORD: 69 signed the register today.

Vigil
co-ordinator

The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London,
takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross
violations of human rights by the current regime in Zimbabwe. The Vigil
which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored,
free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk

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Mugabe foresees top security when retired

afrol.com

Misanet / The
Standard, 14 February - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who turns 82
this month, remains determined to shield himself from commoners who
catapulted him to power even when retirement beckons. Critics say this shows
increasing paranoia by a leader who behaves in sharp contrast with other
veterans of Africa's liberation movements who assumed ordinary citizen
statusA once they left office.

When he left office, Tanzania's
founding President, the late Julius Mwalimu Nyerere moved back to his
childhood home village of Butiama in western Tanzania, while former South
Africa President Nelson Mandela retreated to Qunu, his home village when he
left office, more than half a decade ago. He also has a private residence in
Johannesburg's suburb of Houghton Park, which is not ring-fenced by any
security zoning.

As he was about to leave his position to the then deputy
President Thabo Mbeki, a humble Mandela said: "I will count myself as
amongst the aged of our society; as one of the rural population; as one
concerned for the children and youth of our country; and as a citizen of the
world, committed, as long as I have the strength, to work for a better life
for all people everywhere. The long walk continues."

It is unlikely
this will be the case with Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for more than 25
years. Three weeks before he reaches 82, Mugabe is still keeping people
guessing about his retirement plans and whether these will define his legacy
and future as one of a growing core group of the continent's elder
statesmen.

Mugabe's SADC counterparts in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, have made the transition from
being heads of state to senior private citizens of their respective
countries. His government has already given indications that when Mugabe
does finally leave office, he won't stay among his much-loved povo - the
common people.

Mugabe's lavish rural home in Zvimba could be a perfect
retirement residence but the opulent mansion in Borrowdale Brooke, built at
an estimated cost of over 5 million pounds is most likely to provide
sanctuary to a man who should be retiring to tranquil surroundings to
reflect on his legacy of the immense contribution he made to the liberation
of this country, Namibia and the advent of democracy in South Africa, as
well as be on hand to offer advice to his successor.

And the
Zimbabwean government seems determined not to take any chances about his
security after he leaves office. It has already put in place measures to
acquire homes adjacent to the mansion in a manner that has rattled property
owners around the oriental mansion.

More than a dozen property owners
have been served with notices to move out of the area, which was designated
a security zone last year. The notices will pave way for the government to
acquire the prime properties. There are fears Zimbabwe's "aristocratic
village/cantonment" may emerge in Borrowdale, with top security and
government officials taking up the acquired properties.

Although many
Zimbabweans had not anticipated this would happen, it appears Mugabe had
planned the move in advance. In April last, the Harare Ministry of Home
Affairs issued the order in terms of Section 5 of the Protected Places and
Areas Act, published in the government gazette.

The order, which did not
attract the attention of many, designated the area protected. At the time,
residents felt that apart from the occasional roadblocks, they could only be
inconvenienced if Borrowdale Brooke Road was closed to motorists during the
night as is the case with roads near the State House and Dzibahwe - Mugabe's
official residence.

Little did they know that they would become
undesirable elements once the heavily guarded mansion was completed. One of
several residents, who called 'The Standard' last week, said: "It came as a
shock. We thought he (Mugabe) would just come and live in that big house
without antagonising us. We now know we are not wanted here even though we
were the first to settle here."

Lawyers 'The Standard' spoke to, said the
notices are "improper and illegal". They said if it was a security issue the
notices should have come from the Ministry of Home Affairs and not that of
Local Government.

The Minister of Local Government, Ignatious Chombo, was
said to be in meetings when 'The Standard' approached his office for
comment. The Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry told 'The Standard'
that he had not seen the objections from property owners near the retirement
villa and referred questions to the minister.

The issue has struck
fear in the hearts of many with a senior official from the property sector
telling 'The Standard': "That is a very sensitive issue. To be honest with
you, that is something I don't want to be involved in ..."

But critics
last week said they were not shocked by the move. "Mugabe committed a lot of
crimes against many people, political opponents, farmers and others. He is
being haunted by his past crimes and so it is not surprising that he is
determined to stay away from these people," said Nelson Chamisa,
spokesperson of the opposition MDC anti-Senate faction. "When you abuse
power, you will never feel secure."